Garment-holding fastener



March 31, 1931. ALQNSO 1,798,576

GARMENT HOLDING FASTENER Filed Dec. 11, 1929 f INVENTOR Elan ck aflonso $MM YB 1 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1931 BLANCH ALONSO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GARMENT-HOLDING FASTENER Application filed. December 11, 1929.

My present invention relates to tape or ribbon holding clasps which are utilized for supporting under garments of feminine wear, hose and the like, and has for its principal object the provision of means in a clasp of this type whereby to readily and easily lock or unlock the tape or ribbon, associated with the clasp, in any desired adjusted position.

Another object of my invention is the provision of means to increase the clasping or gripping action of elastic tapes, ribbons and the like, which may be passed through the clasp, and whereby instant release is had when a firm hold is obtained.

Another object of my invention is toprovide means upon the sliding faces of the clasping members which will prevent the gathering or bunching of the tape or ribbon therein, in order to maintain the tape or ribbon in flat, smooth, non-slippable and ungathered position.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the parts and to gain an increase in the gripping or looking action of the clasp members by increasing the breadth of the gripping faces thereof, as will be described hereinafter in detail.

Another object of the invention is to have the parts of my device fiat and close-lying,

39 so that they will not protrude in an ungainly manner when worn underneath garments,

and to afiord a flat contour so as not to cause discomfort when in contact with the body of the wearer.

These and other capabilities will be apprehended as the herein description proceeds, and it will be obvious that modifications may be made in the device herein described without departing from the spirit thereof or the 0 scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged front View of my device associated with the tape or ribbon, parts of the tape being cut away to better show the device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of my device taken on the line 22, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, and showing the clasp members in open position when in the act of adjusting for taking up the tape.

Serial No. 413,233.

Fig. 3 is a front View of one of the coacting clasp members.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the other coacting clasp members.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 55 2, also showing the thickness of the clasp members as exaggerated with relation to the tape and showing the clasp members in operative tape locking position.

My improvement consists essentially of two flat lying, coacting clasp members 1 and 2, shownin Figs. 3 and 4. Both of these members are made of fiat, smoothly finished and polished sheet metal or other suitable material.

In Fig. 3 the front member 1 is shown as being substantially rectangular and is of substantial thickness as shown in its cross section in Figs. 2 and 5. The same description is applicable to the rear coacting member 2 shown in Fig. 4..

In Fig; 3 the member 1 is shown as provided with a pair of slots 3 and 4, as is also the rear coacting member shown in Fig.4, in which similar slots 5 and 6 are provided, said slots 3 and 4. registering respectively with the slots 5 and 6 when the clasp members are in operative relation, as will be'ascertained by viewing Figs. 2 and 5.

The clasp members 1 and 2 are further provided, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each with one edge that is serrated as at 7, Fig. 3, this serration being on the outer uppermost edge of the member 1, whereas the serrated edge 8 of the rear coacting member 2, as in Fig. 4, is located on the inner upper edge adjacent the slot 6 so that when the two coacting clasp members are in operative relation, as in Fig.

5, for clasping and suspending the ribbon or tape 9, said ribbon or tape is-strained in the direction of the arrow 10a, Fig. 5, and it tends to pull itself into the pitched indentures formed by the serrations previously noted. Accordingly, said ribbon or tape 9 is held in its wide and normally fiat position and said serrations prevent the tape from traversing to one side of the slot 6 or to one side of the upper edge 7 and thus prevent unsightly and uncomfortable gathering of the tape toone side of the slot, as usually happens especially when a thin or narrow tape is used. In other words, the serrations, with the ribbon in looped and engaging position, increase the friction of the engaging edges 7 and 8 with the ribbon and prevent slipping thereof from one side to the other side.

In use the front and rear members 1 and 2 are assembled in fiat relation to each other and a tape loop 10 is formed by passing a tape through the slots 3 and 5 and stitching together the lower edges of said tape, which is preferably made of fabric; said loop 10 forms a holding means whereby it may be engaged to any part of a garment 12 by stitching 11, thereby holding the clasps in relatively flat operative relation one to the other and to. the garment which is to be sup ported. As thus affixed the members may be separated one. from the, other as they are freely movable in the loop 10.

After the clasp has been affixed to a garment, as described, a supporting tape 9 may be passed through the slots 1 and 6 with the member 1 in outermost position, and the member 2 at the rear thereof, said ribbon or tape 9 being first passed with its front end 13 through the two apertures 4: and 6 in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1 and the end 13 is then drawn upwardly in the direction of the arrow B and passed downwardly in the direction of the arrow 0, between the two members 1 and 2, and then brought around again through the aperture 6 and upwardly, so that the front end of the tape rests against the outer face of the rear member 2, as at 14, leaving the end 13 exposed for manipulation. The rear end of the tape 9 when under tension of suspending the garment to the body of the wearer is drawn upwardly in the direction of the arrow 10a, Fig. 5, and thereby draws the portions 15, 16, 17 and 18, Fig. 5, firmly upon the points of contact with the members 1 and 2, and at y; the same time clasps the portion 14' of the tape 9, thereby drawing the two clasping members firmly together, as in Fig. 5, thus locking the two members with a firm tape engaging grip which prevents movement or slipping of any kind.

When taking up tapeto any desired degree of comfort, the upper end 13 of the tape 9 is drawn upwardly'in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, and this causes the members 1 and '2 to separate as indicated, whereby upon pulling upwardly, as noted, the members 1 and 2 are separated thereby releasing the tension therebetween, and the tape 9 is then freely drawn upwardly without undue friction. Upon adjusting, as described for Fig. 2, release of the adjusting end 13 permits the two clasp members to againassume the looking position automatically, as indicated in Fig. 5, thereby firmly holding the tape in adjusted position with the two tape holding members in locked tape engaging grip.

The two clasping members are pivotally supported for freely opening or spacing them apart in releasing the tape or ribbon, and they may be immediately and easily closed upon the ribbon or tape to grip the same, like a pair of jaws, when the adjusting or releasing action has been terminated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

In a device of the class described a normally vertically disposed outer tape clasping plate having an upper slot and a lower slot therein and serrations on the top edge thereof, a normally vertically disposed inner tape clasping plate, having an upper slot and a lower slot therein and a serrated edge at said upper slot at the top side of the latter, a flexible loop member, passing through the lower slot of each of said clasping plates, thereby loosely flexibly connecting them to to each other in adjoining positions, and a supporting tape, having one end thereof extending downwardly along the exterior side of said inner tape clasping plate, a contiguous part of said tape then passing outwardly through the upper slot of said inner clasping plate, said tape then passing upwardly between the adjacent sides of said clasping plates, said tape then passing outwardly over the serrated top edge of said outer clasping plate, said tape then passing downwardly along the outer side of the latter, said tape then passing inwardly through the upper slots of both clasping plates, thereby overlapping the aforementioned part of said tape, said tape then terminating in another. end extending alongside of said first mentioned end on the eX- terior side thereof, as and for the purpose described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 10th day of December, A. D. 1929.

BLANCH ALONSO. 

